Posted on 08/06/2010 2:37:05 PM PDT by george76
We invented the federal Highway Trust Fund in 1956, promising motorists and truckers that all proceeds from a new federal gas tax would be spent on building the interstate system. They aren't. Congress has expanded federal highway spending beyond interstates to all types of roadways. And ever since 1982, a portion of those "highway user taxes" have been diverted to urban transit. Today, the federal role in transportation includes mandating sidewalks, funding bike paths and creating scenic trails.
As a result, spending exceeds gas-tax revenues and the Highway Trust Fund is broke. Some claim this is because the 18.3-cents-per-gallon federal gas tax needs to be raised. But drivers can fairly put the blame on the fact that 25 percent of gas-tax funds are diverted to non-highway uses.
Reserving the federal Highway Trust Fund just for highway improvements would mean a 25 percent boost in federal highway investment - about $11 billion per year, a good start toward repairing our aging infrastructure.
But what would happen to urban transit if gas taxes went back to being spent solely on highways? Proper federalist principles would make transit a matter for metro areas and local governments to fund themselves...
The bottom line is that our interstate system is deteriorating, which could be devastating to our economy. Trucks haul 66 percent, by value, of all goods moved in America on these highways, and projections show that this volume will increase ...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Another SHOCKING report of our so called govt. misusing OUR MONEY!
OMG - Poole is FINALLY off his road pricing kick (i.e., tolls on ALL ROADS, determined by what you drive, when you drive, where you drive, etc.). This is a GOOD SIGN. Only half of the Republican Party left to convince.
bump
Here’s a nice thread on what the feds are spending the highway tax money on, hint, it involves doing away with highways.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2565986/posts?page=1
In Rockville MD using highway funds the govt built a $10+ million bike/walk path over I270. It is about 1/4 mile long and fenced. The supports are rock covered so it looks good. Aty one end it drops walkers/cyclists off having to cross two roads. Go figure. Your highway tax dollars at work. In the several years since they built it I have seen no more than a dozen people using it.
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